


The Novice

by SilentEvilx



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angels, Babysitting, Blood, Character Death, Coughing, Crossroads, Crossroads Deals & Demons, Demons, Dysfunctional Family, Emotional Hurt, Family, Family Member Death, Father Figures, Friendship, Gen, Help, Hunters & Hunting, Illnesses, Major Illness, Murder, New Friendship, Novices, Original Character(s), Post-Death in the Family, References to Illness, Teaching
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-01
Updated: 2015-03-26
Packaged: 2018-03-15 17:35:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3455885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilentEvilx/pseuds/SilentEvilx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Em's mom dropped her off at Bobby Singer's after her father was murdered, he taught her how to become a hunter. Years later when Em needs his help, she's devastated to find out that Bobby has passed away. She meets the Winchester's and they decide to help her find the thing that murdered her family.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Preface: The Summer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eleven year old Em is dropped off at Bobby's when her father is violently murdered by a monster. Even though her mother doesn't want Em to know anything about hunting, Em begs Bobby to teach her.

**SEVEN YEARS AGO**

Em was just eleven when her father died.

It happened during the first month of summer. She didn’t know what did it or why. All she knew is that a monster tore him to shreds.

She found out her parents were hunters when she was only six years old; turns out the monster in her closet wasn’t just in her imagination.

She sat in the backseat of her mom’s old, beat up car, wiping the tears from her cheeks as she watched the raindrops race down the window. 

“I don’t wanna go, mom,” Em said quietly.

“I know, baby, I know,” her mom responded, “but you gotta. Please. Do this for me.”

Em’s mom was going after the thing that killed her father. But no matter how many times Em asked what it was, her mom refused to answer. Her parents didn’t want her to know anything about the monsters out there; they did not want her to become a hunter. 

“I don’t even know him,” Em sulked from the backseat, crossing her arms against her chest. 

“He helped me and your father-“ Em’s mother paused, collected herself, then continued; “he’s helped us a few times in the past. He’s a good guy.”

After a few more hours of driving, Em’s mother pulled down an old dirt road and into a junkyard. After passing what seemed like a sea of old cars, they finally pulled up to an old house. The lights illuminated the windows through the dark night.

“Stay here,” Em’s mom said sternly as she got out of the car. Em watched her mother walk up the front steps and knock on the door. After a few moments, an older man with a beard and a hat answered the door. He stared at her mother for a moment, then hugged her, obviously hearing the news of Em’s father. The two began to speak, but the conversation grew heated. Em could see the two beginning to argue. She slowly opened the car door and listened to their conversation.

“You can’t just dump a kid on me with no warning, Janey,” the man exclaimed. 

“Where the hell else am I supposed to take her?” her mother responded, “Bobby, I need this.”

“This may be news to you, but this isn’t exactly the best place to keep a goddamn kid,” the man stated.

The two continued to bicker. Em got out of the car and walked up to her mother.

“I thought I told you to stay in the car,” Em’s mother said angrily. Em looked up at the man. His blue hat was dirty and his beard was shaggy. He looked tired.

The man looked down at Em, took a moment, then sighed.

“How long did you say you’d be?” he asked her mother.

Em’s mother let out a sigh of relief and thanked the man. She crouched down to Em’s level and put her hands on her shoulders.

“It won’t be for long, baby,” she reassured. She kissed Em on the head. Em didn’t want her mother to go, but she was used to it. Her parents left her alone so often while they were hunting that for the most part, she knew how to take care of herself.

Em’s mother stood up and stared at Bobby.

“You do _not_ let her into any of your shit, do you understand me?” Em’s mother stated sternly, “she already knows too much for an eleven year old, and I’ll be damned if she learns anything more.”

Bobby nodded without saying a word.

Em’s mother grabbed the backpack of clothes for her daughter and brought them to the front door. She looked down at Em one last time and smiled sadly.

The red glow of the rear-lights on the back of her mother’s car glowed as she drove away. The man awkwardly introduced as Bobby and led her inside. His house was old, but something about it seemed comforting.

She slept in a dust-covered room on the second floor. 

When Em awoke the next morning, she found Bobby sitting at a desk covered in old books. They looked familiar. She swore she’d seen similar ones in her parents’ home before.

“Whatchya doin’?” Em asked, curious.

“Research,” Bobby responded without looking up from his book. 

“Can I help?” Em asked. Bobby stopped and looked up from his book.

“Absolutely not,” he responded, “your mother would kill me.”

“I already know about this stuff,” Em said while crossing her arms across her chest. She wasn’t completely lying. She knew that monsters were real, and she knew that people hunted them. But she wanted to know how to kill them; she wanted to protect herself.

“No,” Bobby responded, “go watch TV or something.”

Em huffed and left the room. She walked up to the old TV and tried to turn it on.

“It doesn’t even work!” she yelled. Bobby didn’t respond. Em sighed angrily and went outside to explore through the junkyard.

 

* * *

 

That night after Bobby had gone to bed, Em snuck downstairs into the room Bobby was researching in earlier that day. She quietly snuck over to a stack of books and carefully took the one off of the top. She began to read the book, absorbing all the information she could. She scribbled notes into a notebook she packed with her. She did this every night for two weeks, until one night, she was caught.

“What in the hell do you think you’re doing?” Bobby said loudly. Em nearly jumped out of her skin.

She explained to him how she wanted to learn this stuff.  How she wanted to defend herself. She didn’t want the same thing that happened to her father happen to anyone else she cared about.

Bobby tried to argue, but eventually gave up.

“You _really_ wanna learn this stuff?” he asked.

“More than anything,” Em responded. Bobby sighed.

“Well, get up. You might as well learn from experience.”

For the rest of Em’s stay at Bobby’s, he taught her everything from exorcising demons to shooting shotguns full of rock salt. Over this time, her and Bobby became friends. They didn’t hear from her mother very much; only a quick “I’m okay” call here and there, but nothing more. Em didn’t mind, though. She enjoyed learning everything she could from Bobby. 

 

* * *

 

It had been two months since Em first arrived at Bobby’s. It was nearing the end of August. The setting sun shined through the window across the books the two were going over.

“And you kill a Wendigo with..?” Bobby asked.

“Silver…no, wait! Fire,” Em answered proudly. Bobby smiled and continued to quiz her.

“ _What the hell is this?_ ” a familiar voice boomed from behind them. Em’s chest quickly filled with anxiety as she saw her mother standing in the doorway. She knew her mother didn’t want her knowing any of this stuff.

“Janey,” Bobby replied, “a phone call woulda been nice,”

“What the fuck, Bobby?! I said no hunting shit!” Em’s mother exclaimed. She was pissed. Really, really pissed.

“Janey, I know you want to protect her, but she needs to know this stuff,” Bobby said, trying to reason with her, “She needs to learn how to protect herself.”

“She’s not your daughter, Bobby. I decide what she learns,”

“Mom, it’s okay-” Em began.

“Em, get your things, we’re leaving,” her mother snapped.

“But-“

“Now!”

Em could feel tears welling up in her eyes. She didn’t want to leave Bobby. Not yet. But she knew better than to argue with her mother, so she reluctantly went upstairs and shoved her clothes into her backpack. Lying on her bed was the book she had been using to write her notes in. Em knew her mother would kill her if she found it, but she couldn’t leave it here. She needed it. She slipped it to the bottom of her bag under her clothes, then began to walk down the stairs. She could hear her mother and Bobby still arguing.

“She’s old enough!” Bobby argued, “She needs to know how to protect herself. Especially with what happened with her father-“

“Don’t you dare bring him into this,” her mother snapped.

“Janey, she needs to learn sooner or later. Hell, Dean was younger than her when he started learning-“

“I don’t give a _shit_ about Dean. This is _my daughter_. And we’re leaving.”

Em made it to the bottom of the stairs and her mother grabbed her arm, “Come on, baby, we’re going home now.”

Janey dragged Em to the door. Bobby looked devastated.

“If you even _think_ of bringing this up to anyone- if you even mention her name to anyone- I’ll chop off your balls,” Janey hissed, “do I make myself clear?”

“Yes ma’am”, Bobby responded quietly. He knew she wasn’t kidding.

That was the last time Em saw Bobby.


	2. The Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seven years later, Em returns to Bobby's when she needs his help. She's surprised to learn that Bobby isn't there anymore.

**7 YEARS LATER**  

Em hated school. She didn’t fit in and didn’t have many friends.  She thought the whole thing was a huge waste of time.

“ _Thank god I’m graduating this year_ ,” she thought to herself, “ _then I can finally leave this hellhole._ ”

Em walked the same way home from school she did everyday. She breathed in the fresh spring air and looked at the blossoming trees. She walked up the path to her small home where her and her mother lived and unlocked the door.

Something wasn’t right. It was way too quiet. Her mom usually had the radio on and the curtains drawn wide open, but neither was done.

“Mom?” Em called. No answer.

Em shut the door behind her and ran into the house, yelling for her mom. She stopped when she saw the carpet soaked in blood. She felt her heart shoot into her throat.

Lying on the ground was her mother in the same mangled position her father was in when he was murdered seven years before. She ran to her mother’s side, but she was already gone. Em began to panic; she first felt the tears stream down her face, then the nausea. She ran to the kitchen sink and vomited. Her mind was in a whirlwind. She didn’t know what to do. She slumped onto the kitchen floor and cried. After a moment, she reached over to her backpack and pulled out the old notebook she still kept from Bobby’s with all her old notes. She furiously flipped through the pages, but couldn’t focus. She cried more.

“ _Bobby_ ,” she thought, “ _I need Bobby. He…he can help_ ”

She pulled herself off of the floor, grabbed her notebook, and shoved it in her backpack. Before she left, she ran to her mother’s room and grabbed the gun that was kept on the top shelf of the closet; her mother didn’t know Em knew where she kept her gun. After placing the gun in her bag, she grabbed the keys to her mom’s car and sped out of the driveway. She began the long drive to the old junkyard she had spend her summer at seven years ago.

 

* * *

 

She pulled up the familiar dirt road and into the junkyard. Memories of Bobby and that summer came flooding back to her. She continued forward and pulled up to the old house. Something wasn’t right. The lights weren’t on and the place was falling apart, even more than usual. It looked abandoned.

Em shut off the engine and shot out of the car, running toward the front door. She knocked. No answer. She knocked again, but still no answer. She called for Bobby, but all she could hear was silence. She grabbed the door handle and after a few good twists, the door finally popped open.

She ran through the house. Dust covered everything.

“No no no no, he has to be here!” Em said quietly to herself. She looked in every room, but it was completely abandoned. Even his books were gone. She leaned herself against the wall and slid down into a hopeless pile on the floor. She sat there for a while, realizing that she might never find out what happened to her mom.

“ _Maybe he’s on a hunt_ ,” Em thought to herself.

Orange light poured through the dusty windows and onto Em. She watched the shadows move across the floor until the sun had completely set. She pulled her notebook out of her backpack, trying to gather any information she could about what might of happened to her mother.

 

* * *

  

Em snapped out of her slumber when she heard tires moving up the driveway. She realized she had fallen asleep, still slumped up against the wall with her notebook sprawled across her lap. Em ran toward the window and saw headlights shining brighter and brighter as they reached closer to the house. She ran toward her backpack and grabbed the gun, hands shaking. She peered out the window again and saw two men get out of a black car.

The two men looked at her mother’s beat-up car parked in the driveway. They pulled out their guns and cautiously walked toward the house. Em hid behind the couch and held the gun close. She heard the front door open and footsteps slowly followed.

She wanted to continue hiding, but she thought these men might know where Bobby was. Fear began to overwhelm her when she realized that these men might have something to do with Bobby’s disappearance. She slowly got up from behind the couch and walked around the corner to the main doorway where the two men were standing. She aimed her gun toward them.

“Where’s Bobby?” she asked, voice shaky.

The two men immediately spun around and pointed their guns toward her. They stood in silence for a second.

“Who the hell are you?” the shorter haired one asked.

“ _Where’s Bobby?_ ” Em repeated.

The two men looked at each other, the longer haired one began to lower his gun.

“Guess you didn’t get the memo…” he said.

“ _What?_ ” Em asked, confused.

“Bobby’s uh….Bobby’s dead.”

Em felt the nausea come back again.

“No. No, you’re lying,” Em said, tears beginning to well up. She kept aiming the gun toward them, “Where is he?!”

The two men lowered their guns.

“I’m sorry,” the short haired one replied, “he’s…he’s been gone for a while.”

They didn’t look like they were lying.

Em finally lowered her gun.


	3. The Brothers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Em meets Sam and Dean.

Em couldn’t believe Bobby was dead. She didn’t want to believe it. First her dad, then her mom, and now Bobby. 

“Everyone’s gone,” she said quietly to herself. She needed Bobby’s help. She couldn’t fight this monster by herself. She didn’t know how.

The two men put their guns away and slowly walked toward her. Em backed away a bit, but stopped, completely hopeless.

“I’m guessing you knew Bobby?” the long haired one asked.

“He uh…he took care of me for a bit when I was eleven,” Em answered, “I came back because I needed his help. My mom-“

She stopped talking. She didn’t know if these men knew that monsters were real. She didn’t want them to think she was crazy.

“What’s your name?” the short haired one asked.

“Em”, she answered.

The long haired man introduced himself as Sam and his brother as Dean.

“Dean,” Em began, “I remember Bobby mentioning that name…”

They asked what she needed Bobby’s help with.

“You’ll think I’m crazy,” she answered.

“Try us,” Dean answered. Em swallowed.

“My mom was a, uh…a hunter,” she began. The boys’ faces told her that they knew exactly what a hunter was. She explained how she found her mother’s body in the same way that her father’s was found. She needed Bobby’s help to figure out what did it. She wanted to kill it.

The brothers looked at each other and excused themselves from the room. They went into the kitchen to talk. Em could hear them bickering. After a few minutes, she walked toward the kitchen.

“We gotta help her out, Dean,” Sam began.

“Man, how do we know we can even trust this girl?” Dean asked.

“I dunno, she seems pretty genuine,” Sam replied.

“If she’s so genuine, how come Bobby never mentioned her before?”

“Because my mom threatened to cut off his balls if he ever mentioned anything about me,” Em interrupted. The boys turned around, not noticing her standing behind them.

“He knew she wasn’t joking,” she continued.

Sam sighed and sat down at the kitchen table. Dean followed.

“Well, come on,” Dean said, motioning toward Em to sit at the table, “start from the beginning.”

She told them how her mother dropped her off at Bobby’s when her father was murdered. She explained that she begged him to teach her about monsters and how to protect herself.

“My mom didn’t want me knowing this stuff, but I needed to learn,” Em said, “and Bobby was the one that taught me.”

The boys looked at each other.

“But I didn’t learn everything,” Em continued, “Only what I could before my mom found out and snatched me back.”

She grabbed the notebook from her bag and showed it to the brothers.

“I wrote everything I learned in here,” she explained. Dean took the book and flipped through a few pages while Sam looked over his shoulder.

“Not very detailed,” Dean began.

“Shut up, I was eleven,” Em replied. Dean smirked.

“Look, I don’t know what killed my mother. All I know is that I want to find the son of a bitch that did and gut it,” she confessed. The brothers looked at her in silence, then asked her more questions about what had happened. She answered.

“Did you call the police?” Sam asked.

“No, not yet,” Em replied, realizing that she probably should have. The brothers looked at each other.

“We’ll call them when we get closer to your place,” Sam answered.

“Y-you want to help me?” Em asked, disbelieved.

“Well, we’re not just gonna leave ya,” Dean answered, “Come on, let’s go.”


	4. Research

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Em, Sam, and Dean try to figure out what monster attacked her family.

Em drove her mother’s car as the brothers followed behind her, still in disbelief that they even wanted to help her. Before they left Bobby’s, they went over a plan; Em would call the police once she entered her home. She’d tell them that she didn’t see her mother’s body until then. Em and the brothers exchanged numbers so they could keep in touch.

Once Em parked the car and walked into her home, she felt her hands begin to shake. She didn’t want to see her mother’s body again. She quickly walked into the other room and called the police. After a few minutes, her street was littered with cop cars.

She answered all the questions they asked her, still very shaken up. She didn’t want to believe her mother was really gone.

After the police officer had finished questioning her, she noticed the Winchester brothers walk up toward her home. They were no longer in plaid shirts and jeans; they were dressed in professional suits. They quickly exchanged words with one of the many cops surrounding the area, flashed their fake badges, and walked toward the house.

“I can’t believe that actually worked,” Em said quietly once the two brothers had entered the home.  Sam smirked. The two began searching around the crime scene. Em felt the nausea come back.

“I’m-I’m sorry, guys,” she began, “I really can’t-“

“Hey, it’s okay,” Sam said, trying to comfort her, “you don’t have to see this. Just wait in another room and we’ll let you know when we’re done.”

Em thanked them and walked down the hallway to her small bedroom. She tossed her backpack on the floor and curled up on top of her bed, holding her knees tight to her chest. Her face felt hot; she didn’t realize she had been crying.

A little while passed before the brothers knocked on her bedroom door and told her they were done. She picked her bag up from the floor and walked down the hallway. Her heart stopped when she saw the coroner wheel a black body bag out on a stretcher. Dean put his hand on her shoulder.

“C’mon,” he began, “pack some stuff and we’ll get the hell out of here.”

 

* * *

 

Em sat in the back of the Winchester’s Impala as they drove to a motel a little ways from her house. Once they settled inside, they began asking her questions.

“You mentioned your father died in the same way?” Dean asked.

“Yeah,” Em answered, “I saw him just…lying there. I was only eleven…”

Em swallowed back the emotion she could feel welling up inside her. The brothers didn’t ask many more questions after that.

 

* * *

 

 Em tore through her notebook trying to find something- _anything_ \- that would help her figure out what happened to her family.

“It couldn’t have been a spirit, could it?” Em asked.

“I don’t think so,” Sam responded, “we didn’t find any ectoplasm.”

Em flipped through a few more pages, but she couldn’t seem to fit the pieces together. She had never done this before. She wished Bobby were there.

“It looked like some sort of brutal animal attack,” Em recalled with a heavy heart.

“I was thinking the same,” Dean responded. He looked at Sam and they exchanged glances.

“Em,” Dean began, “did your father make a…deal of some sort?”

“What?” Em answered, “Like, with a demon?”

“Something like that,” Dean responded.

“I don’t know. He didn’t seem like that type of person. Neither did my mother…” Em trailed off.

“It’s just…the claw marks on your mother look a lot like they were from a hellhound,” Sam stated.

Em’s eyes went wide.

“I-I don’t know? Maybe,” Em stuttered, “I remember Bobby mentioning them, but I didn’t get a chance to learn that much about them.”

“Well there’s only one way to find out,” Dean announced, “grab your things. We’re going to the crossroads.”


	5. The Crossroads

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Em and the Winchester's travel to the crossroads to get some answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's taken me a while to post this chapter! I've been busy with work. I'll try to post more often :)

The three had been on the road for almost a full day. Em wasn’t used to long car rides; she was restless. She was more than happy when they stopped to pick up food. Dean warned Em about getting food on the seat. She was careful.

Dean drove while Sam sat beside him. Em sat in the back while carefully eating her burger, trying not to get any in Dean’s precious car. So far, she was successful. She looked out the window while chewing on a large bite. The sun had set and the sky was littered with purple and pink clouds; it almost looked like a painting.

“You still need it?” an unfamiliar voice spoke from beside Em. Em nearly jumped out of her skin and her burger went flying out of her hand.

_“Jesus!”_ Em bellowed. A man with stubble and a trench coat had suddenly appeared beside her. She reached for her knife. 

“Hey Cas,” Dean said from the front, “a little warning might have been nice.”

“ _What the hell_?” Em questioned, trying to catch her breath. She put down her knife; the brothers obviously knew this man.

“Em, this is Cas,” Dean answered, “he’s known for popping out of nowhere and scaring the shit out of people.”

“How did…” Em began. She could barely get any words out of her mouth. Her heart was still racing.

“Guess Bobby never taught you about angels,” Dean answered. Em didn’t know angels existed; she never even questioned the possibility before. She knew about monsters, but angels? She had no idea.

After the brothers and the angel exchanged a few words, Cas pulled a long silver blade out from under his trench coat and handed it to Sam.

“Just in case,” he told the brothers, “do NOT lose it.”

Without another word, he vanished into thin air. Em stared at the now empty seat beside her.

“You never get used to that,” Sam told her.

“Aw man, you dropped your freakin’ burger, didn’t you?” Dean asked with a frown on his face.

 

* * *

 

 It was well into the night before the three of them arrived at their destination. Sam opened the trunk of the car and took out a small box. It was filled with a bunch of small items; he told Em it was to summon a demon.

“Wait, we’re actually gonna summon a demon?” Em asked. She felt strangely excited. Bobby had taught her how to exorcise demons, but she never actually came face-to-face with one.

Dean and Em followed Sam to the center of the two crossing roads. He dug a small hole and buried the box. They waited, but nothing.

“I don’t think it worked,” said Em.

“Just wait,” Sam said, quietly. They stood in silence for a few more moments until they heard something appear behind them. 

“If it isn’t the Winchester’s,” a female voice said slyly. The three turned around. A short woman with black eyes stood in front of them with a cheeky smirk on her face.

“Recruiting a little young, aren’t we?” she said while looking at Em.

“We need some answers,” Dean demanded.

“Do you, now?” the demon responded.

Dean ignored her remark, “all we want to know is if Em’s dad made a deal with you, that’s it.”

The demon’s expression changed. She looked at Em.

“So _you’re_ Em,” she said with a smile forming on your face, “you’ve grown.”

“What are you talking about?” Em asked, confused. The demon didn’t answer; she just kept smiling. The Winchester’s demanded she explain herself.

“Your parents really did everything they could to protect you,” the demon responded. 

“Wh-what?” Em asked. She had no idea what the demon was talking about.

“You really don’t know?” the demon asked.

“For god’s sake, just spit it out already,” Dean asked, annoyed.

“You’re sick,” the demon stated to Em.

“What?” Em asked, wide eyed.

“Well, you _were_ sick,” the demon confessed, “you were born sick and you weren’t gonna make it.”

Em was confused and growing more and more angry. Why was this bitch smiling? Sam could tell Em was getting mad.

“Cut the crap,” Sam bellowed to the demon. The small woman adjusted her coat and continued on.

“You were going to die; born with some incurable disease, I don’t remember what. Your father came to me and made a deal. His soul for your life.”

Em felt her heart drop into her stomach.

“So I gave him eleven years to spend with his precious daughter. When his time was up, I sent my hellhounds after him”

“So it _was_ hellhounds,” Em said quietly.

“What about her mother?” Sam intervened, “why send hellhounds after her?”

“Her father wasn’t the only one who made a deal,” the demon began, “after your father was murdered, your mother came after me. She knew about your fathers deal. She tried to stop my hellhounds from tearing your father to shreds, but she failed. That’s why she sent you away.”

“How do you know she sent me away?” Em asked, beginning to freak out.

“I hear things,” the demon smirked, “your mother came to me, begging to keep you safe. So she made a deal. Ten more years of your health for her soul.”

“But you didn’t keep your deal,” Sam interrupted, “her mom didn’t get ten years. You cut it short.”

“That’s what happens when you try to kill me,” the demon stated. She looked right at Em and began walking toward her, “those “hunting trips” your mom went on? She was looking for me. I was good at hiding until one day she managed to find me. She tried to end my life, but oh man, did she fail miserably. I kicked her ass.” 

The demon laughed, then continued, “your mom got away. At least, she thought she did. I sent my hellhounds after her, and that was that.”

“You son of a bitch,” Em yelled, running toward the demon. Sam jumped in and grabbed her, stopping her from attacking the demon.

“I’ll kill you,” Em said through her teeth, “do you hear me? _I’ll fucking kill you!”_

“Oh, good luck with that, sweetie,” the demon laughed. Em tried to wiggle her way out of Sam’s grip on her, but he was too strong.

“You listen here,” Dean said firmly, “you’re done with her parents. You’re gonna leave her the hell alone.”

“Oh, I am, am I?” the demon asked, “this deal isn’t over. Her mother broke my contract. I’m not finished with Em just yet.”

The demon turned to Em, winked, then vanished into thin air. Sam released his grip on Em. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and rested her hands on her head.

“Now what?”


	6. The Sickness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With no demon deal keeping Em healthy, she's beginning to feel the symptoms. The Winchester's race to track down the demon that did this.

The crossroads faded in the rearview mirror of the Impala as the brothers and Em drove away from their encounter with the demon. The more she thought about it, the more she started to feel sick. Her stomach swirled and her head felt warm, but she didn’t say anything. The brothers already had enough to worry about. The longer they drove, the more ill Em felt. Even Sam and Dean began to notice.

“You’re looking a little pale,” Sam said as he twisted his body from the front seat to face Em, “are you okay?”

“Yeah. Just crashing from the adrenaline, I think,” Em answered. She didn’t know what she was feeling, but she knew she hadn't felt like this before. She began to wonder if the demon had something to do with it. 

“You sure?” Sam asked. She could tell he was genuinely concerned. Em shrugged. Sam frowned and turned back around. She began to think about her mother and how she found her lying on the floor. She cringed at the memory. She tried to think of something else, but all she could think about was the people she lost. She missed her parents. She missed Bobby. She wondered why these brothers even offered to help her in the first place. She felt guilty for everything that had happened.

Once they arrived at an old motel that existed in what seemed like the middle of nowhere, the brothers started to worry. Em brushed off their concern.

“I just need a nap,” Em concluded. The brothers exchanged glances with each other, but agreed. They checked into an old motel room. The walls were covered in some god-awful wallpaper from decades ago, but the two queen-sized beds looked comfortable enough. Em walked toward the bed farthest from the door, threw herself onto it, and let sleep take over.

She woke up a few hours later to the sound of the brothers quietly talking. She felt cold. She pulled the covers up to her ears and rolled over. The brothers stopped their conversation for a moment, but started up again once Em had settled into her new sleeping position. She listened into their conversation, pretending to be asleep. They were talking about the demon that they had met earlier that day. They were worried. The low tones of their voices helped lull Em back to sleep. 

A few hours later, Em’s coughing woke her up. She sat up in her bed and covered her mouth. Dean was still up researching, but Sam had fallen asleep on the other bed with his laptop still open beside him. Dean looked over at Em.

“You alright?” he asked. Em nodded, but her coughing fit just got worse. She felt something rise from her lungs. She threw the covers off of her and ran towards the bathroom. She slammed and locked the door behind her, waking Sam. She rushed to the sink and spit out what had risen into her mouth. She couldn’t see what it was; the light wasn’t on. She continued coughing, trying to catch her breath. She heard Dean’s footsteps rush toward the bathroom.

“Em! Are you okay?” his voice rang from the other side of the door.

“Yeah-“ Em could barely get out, “just gimme a sec.”

When her coughing finally subsided, she wiped her mouth and opened the door. Both Sam and Dean stood in the doorway. Worry grew on their faces when they saw her.

“You’re not okay,” Dean stated, while leading Em back into the bathroom. Sam turned on the light and Em saw what was in the sink. Blood. A lot of it. She took a step back and looked into the mirror. She gasped. All the colour from her face was gone. Her veins were visible, as if her skin was translucent. Her eyes looked sunken and dark, and blood stained her lips. She stared at her reflection and began to tremble.

“What the fuck…” she whispered quietly to herself. Sam quickly grabbed a washcloth and handed it to Em. She wiped the blood from her lips.

“Alright, you’re laying down. Sam and I will figure this shit out,” Dean announced as he tried to lead her out of the bathroom. She shook his hand off of her shoulder. 

“No, I’m helping you,” she stated. The brothers tried to convince her otherwise, but they couldn’t win.

“That demon bitch has something to do with this,” Em spat. The brothers agreed. Now that there was no demon deal keeping Em healthy, her illness was bound to come back. She was scared and angry. She didn’t want to be sick. All she wanted was to gut the son of a bitch who did this to her family.

“Why don’t we just go back to the crossroads and summon her again?” Em asked.

“She’s probably already gone,” Sam answered, “she’s expecting us to go after her.”

The three of them researched for hours trying to find the demon’s location. Sam used his laptop to check for any strange occurrences in the areas around them; things like electric storms or strange murders, but he didn’t find much. Em’s hands trembled and her lungs burned, but she tried to ignore it. She didn’t want some sickness taking over her, but she was feeling weaker and weaker by the hour. They weren’t getting anywhere and discouragement began to overwhelm them. Sam rested his head in his hands, trying to think up any other way to track her down.

“There’s only one other thing I can think of,” Dean said, while pulling his phone out of his pocket. He stared at the phone for a moment, and sighed, “I can’t believe I’m about to do this.”

“Dean, no,” Sam interrupted.

“Wait, who are you calling?” Em asked. They didn’t answer her.

“Dean, do you really want to get him involved?” Sam asked. He swallowed.

“I don’t know what else to do,” Dean answered. Sam looked flustered. After a moment, he sighed and leaned back into his chair.

“Do what you gotta do,” Sam said while crossing his arms across his chest. Em stayed quiet.

Dean dialed a number, put the phone on speaker, then set it on the table. After a few rings, someone answered.

“Hello, boys.”


	7. The Hunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crowley helps the three locate the crossroad demon that's in hiding. Later, Em's book of notes from Bobby's lessons comes in handy.

“And to what do I owe the pleasure, Dean?” the voice rang from the phone’s speaker.

“Crowley, we need your help,” Dean confessed while rubbing the back of his neck. Em could tell this conversation was one he did not want to have.

“Oh, really?” Crowley asked with a laugh, “the Winchester’s need _my_ help? Now this is brilliant.”

“Cut the crap, Crowley, this is serious,” Dean replied, annoyed, “we just need a location of one of your demons, that’s it.”

Em sat up straight. One of _his_ demons? Who the hell was this guy?

“Crossroad demon? Short? Likes the sound of her own voice?” Crowley asked.

Dean cocked his head to the side, “Yeah, how did you-“

“ _That_ would be Juniper,” Crowley sighed.

“ _Juniper_? What kind of a name is that?” Dean scoffed.

“Wait, why are you so gung-ho on telling us where she is?” Sam interrupted.

“She breaks my rules,” Crowley answered flatly, “figured you two would want to sort her out.”

Dean looked up at Sam, then toward Em. Her eyes drooped and her skin was growing paler. Her lungs burned every time she inhaled. She was getting good at ignoring the pain, but it was beginning to overwhelm her.

“Last I heard, she was working the crossroads near West River,” Crowley revealed, “might wanna hurry before she catches wind that you’re looking for her.”

“West River…” Sam said quietly to himself as he pulled out a map from his bag.

“Well, it’s been lovely chatting with you,” Crowley said sarcastically from the other line, “be sure to end her.”

The phone clicked. Dean stood up to get a better look at the map Sam had sprawled across the small table.

“How far are we talking?” Dean asked.

“About three hours west,” Sam answered while pointing to a location on the map. The brothers began to figure out which roads were best to take. Em had another coughing fit before they left. More blood escaped from her lungs and it hurt to breathe. She quickly shoved her things into her backpack and the three of them left the old motel room for good.

 

* * *

 

The drive was difficult. Em’s bones felt like glass; every bump sent pain through her body. Fatigue was slowly taking over her, but the thought of ending this demon’s life kept her mind buzzing.

After three hours of driving, they stopped. Em looked out the window and saw the crossroads in the distance. The three of them stepped out of the car. Dean opened the trunk and lifted up the false bottom. Weapons of all sorts filled the trunk. Stakes, guns, blades…Em hadn’t realized how much hunting equipment the brothers actually owned. Dean chose a large knife and lifted it up to the light. The end was pointed and one edge was serrated. Symbols were carved into the metal. Em recognized the writing, but couldn’t read it. She swore she’d seen it in a book she read at Bobby’s. Then it dawned on her; this was a demon blade. Bobby had taught her about these. It killed the demon, but the vessel also met the same fate.

“Wait, we’re not gonna use that, are we?” Em asked, concerned. 

“Well, yeah,” Dean answered, “we’re gonna kill her.” 

“But her vessel…” Em said quietly, “her vessel will die.”

Dean looked down at the blade. Em ran to the side of the car and opened the door. She grabbed her backpack and pulled out her notebook. She quickly flipped through the pages and found the exorcism Bobby had taught her.

“There,” Em said, pointing at the page, “we can use this. Her vessel doesn’t have to die.”

Sam took her book and read over her writing. He nodded in approval.

“We could…we’ll have to change our plan. I can exorcise her and Dean-”

“No,” Em interrupted, “I’m doing it. I’m reading the exorcism.”

“Have you ever exorcised a demon before?” Sam asked.

“N-no…” Em admitted, “but I practiced with Bobby! I read it over and over until I got it right.”

Sam took a deep breath and looked over toward Dean.

“Are you sure you want to do this, Em?” Sam asked. His eyes were sympathetic. Em nodded. The brothers looked at each other, then began planning their attack.

 

* * *

 

Sam and Em buried a box in the center of the crossroads to summon Juniper. Dean was hiding in the bushes, ready to jump her when Sam gave the signal. Em held her notebook close to her chest and coughed a few times. She was ready to send this demon back to hell.

Sam unzipped his coat and revealed the angel blade Cas had leant them resting in his inner pocket.

“Just in case,” Sam told Em quietly.

After a few moments of waiting, Juniper appeared in front of them. She looked at Em and threw her head back with laughter.

“You really are desperate, aren’t you?” Juniper said aggressively.

“I want to make a deal,” Em lied.

“You’re joking,” Juniper laughed. Her eyes flashed black.

“I want my health back,” Em stated, “no more blood, no more coughing, no more bullshit.”

“You’re serious,” said the demon in disbelief. Em nodded. Juniper tiled her head to the side and cracked her neck. She failed to notice Dean sneaking up behind her.

“Now!” Sam yelled. Dean grabbed the demon’s arms and wrestled them behind her. He snapped handcuffs onto her wrists, but they weren’t any ordinary handcuffs. They had the same symbols on them as the demon blade; they would stop Juniper from escaping her vessel.

Em frantically opened her book and began to read out the exorcism. She carefully read every word, making sure to get the pronunciation right. Juniper violently thrashed around, trying to escape from Dean’s grip, but he did not let go.

Em stopped reading when she heard growling from behind them. She turned around, but saw nothing.

“ _Hellhound!_ ” Sam exclaimed. He pulled the angel blade from his coat and held it out in front of him. He held out a protective arm toward Em and moved behind her.

“Em, keep going!” he yelled, waving the blade in front of him. Now standing back to back with Sam, Em pulled her thoughts together and kept reading.

The demon’s head snapped back as black smoke escaped from her mouth. Em continued to read and the smoke fell to the ground, disappearing below the surface. The smoke completely disappeared once Em finished reading, and the growling of the hellhound could no longer be heard.

Em felt warmth rise to her face. The burning in her lungs ceased and she could breathe easily again. Her bones stopped aching as she felt energy rise from within. She no longer had the urge to cough. Em smiled; she couldn’t believe it was actually over.

Em closed her book and looked at the vessel now hanging from Dean’s arms. He quickly unlocked the handcuffs and held his fingers to the woman’s neck. Em held her breath. Dean nodded when he felt a pulse and Em let out a relieved sigh. The vessel was okay, just unconscious. Sam wearily put the angel blade back into his coat pocket after making sure the area was safe, then helped Dean lay the woman across the backseat of the car.

“You did good, kid,” Dean told Em with a smile. Sam agreed. Em held her notebook close. She was proud of herself. She had sent the demon that ruined her life back to hell. She thought of her parents and Bobby. She felt tears begin to well up. Not out of sadness, but out of relief.

Sam put his arm around her shoulder and gave her a quick squeeze before leading her back to the car. She wedged herself between the brothers in the front of the old Impala since Juniper’s vessel was resting in the back. They drove to a local hospital and dropped the woman off. They told the nurses that they found her unconscious on the side of the road, then left before the hospital staff could ask any more questions.

Now sitting in the back, Em pulled herself forward and rested her arms on the front seat of the car. The brothers looked at her and smiled.

“So, where to next?”


End file.
